Natural Selection and Evolution — Test Answers

Which of Charles Darwin’s main points is depicted in the image?

Which statement is a valid claim that could be made using the data in the graph?

A fossilized fish is found that has jaws but no true bones. Where does this fossil belong on the cladogram?

What will most likely happen to the population of moths in this habitat?

Jezelyn needs to create a project that shows geographic isolation in action and decides to make a video. Which of these would make the best project?

Which feature separates humans from other primates?

Mr. Morales is teaching a lesson on classification. He says that spiders are classified as a different group than insects because they have eight legs instead of six legs. He explains that spiders evolved first. Mr. Morales also says that having eight legs is the derived trait that separates the two groups. Antonio thinks Mr. Morales is wrong. Which piece of information is Antonio considering?

A male cardinal’s red color is an example of a trait affected by natural selection. The females of the species choose mates based on the vibrant colors of the males’ feathers. If females begin using different criteria than feather color when they choose mates, what would most likely happen to the color of the male cardinals over time?

In 2002, the fossil of a four-winged dinosaur was discovered in China and named a microraptor. What was the significance of the discovery?

A scientist is trying to determine the relationship between clams, snails, and squid. When she generates a molecular clock, she is surprised to see that clams and squid are more closely related than clams and snails. Which did the molecular clock data show?

Susan makes a claim that humans do not evolve because we adapt to situations by changing our technology, not ourselves. Which piece of evidence contradicts this idea?

Greek and Roman philosophers contributed to the theory of evolution when they agreed that

A student has written a paper about a deer population that was separated when a canyon developed between members of the group. In her paper, she showed that the two groups adapted differently and can no longer interbreed. What would be the best title for her paper?

Scientists notice structural similarities between fossils of a land animal and an aquatic organism. They know the similarities are not a result of the two organisms having to adapt to similar environments. What can they attribute the structural similarities to?

Thylacosmilus is a marsupial, and Smilodon is a mammal. Thylacosmilus and Smilodon both have saber teeth, but they do not share an ancestor that had saber teeth. What are saber teeth for these organisms?

Which best illustrates a result of natural selection?

In 1998, paleoanthropologist Rick Potts published an article in The Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, a peer-reviewed journal. The article was titled “Environmental Hypotheses of Hominin Evolution.” In his paper, Potts claimed that great variations in environmental conditions over time were responsible for the adaptability of humans and the success of our species. Which would most likely be found in his paper?

Horses and zebras can be bred to produce a zorse, which is infertile. Which is most likely the reason zebras and horses are considered separate species?

Which best describes biogeographic isolation?

Henry was studying two populations of the same species of lizards. One population lived on an island and the other lived on the mainland. Both populations were affected by a hurricane that hit the island and the mainland with equal force. A year later, Henry was testing the gene frequency and saw a decrease in genetic variation in the island species, but not in the mainland species. Which best describes a conclusion he might have reached?